BLACKWATER and Terrafirma square off Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in a PBA Philippine Cup match where pride is the foremost thing at stake.
The Dyip are merely trying to finish the season-ending conference the way they started it, with a win, and close out their campaign with a record better than their current 1-9 slate.
For their part, the Bossing are sitting on a 1-8 card which they hope to jack with wins over Terrafirma and Phoenix on June 13.
Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso said their remaining matches would also be used by his charges to further hone their skills and team chemistry moving forward. "As always... sinabi ko sa boys na to use these games to improve, to get better, para next season," he said.
"Wala, ganu'n talaga. You have to try and get some things out of the games," added Cariaso. "Our challenge in the last games, fight pa rin, give our best, give our all. Expected ko lang is for us to use the games to improve our team."
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Like Terrafirma, Blackwater would not have been taken out early from the race for quarterfinals spots if not for inconsistent plays. As a result, the Dyip lost nine straight and the Bossing six, capped by an 82-108 drubbing from streaking TNT only last Friday.
Cariaso maintains his youth-laden team had its chances. "In our losses, four games doon p'wede kaming manalo," he opined.
"Feeling ko, a big part of it is 'yung learning curve namin. We still have to learn how to finish games. May games kasi kami na we play three quarters na maayos, three quarters-and-a-half, tapos sa dulo. 'Yung completing the games, doon pa tayo kulang. I think that was our biggest challenge this conference, 'yung hindi kami nakapag-sustain the whole 48 minutes."
The Bossing going through intermittent changes due to injuries and/or acquisition of new players also affected the team, according to Cariaso.
"Hindi naman nila gustong mag-miss ng games, pero... small injuries here and there, that's what's hurting us. Doon kami nag-struggle din," explained Cariaso, before pointing out not everything is negative.
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"A lot of good positives, honestly," said Cariaso. "One of the things, first of all, as a team, I think na-realize namin na as much as young players sila, sila na 'yung cornerstone ng team, sila (Sedrick) Barefield and (Christian) David. Very young sila, second year pa lang ni Christian, first ni Sed, so napunta na sila sa position where sila main men."
New acquisitions BJ Andrade and Troy Mallilin, the generally steady plays of RK Ilagan, and the expected return of Abu Tratter to his old impactful ways also give Cariaso additional hope.
"BJ Andrade, Troy Mallilin, very positive kami sa dalawa na iyon because they brought energy and defensive mindset na gustong-gusto namin. Then happy tayo sa nagiging role ni RK Ilagan, very reliable." (NC)
